Microsoft Agent Framework
Words made simple
A few useful meanings before you read the explanation.
- Agent
- An application that uses a model to choose its next action within defined limits. It can use tools and continue through several steps.
- Orchestration
- Coordinating tasks: deciding their order, passing data between them, and handling waiting or failures.
- State
- The data describing where a workflow is now, what it already knows, and what still needs to happen.
More words from this lesson
- Persistence
- Saving information so it remains available after a request ends or a process restarts.
- Evaluation
- Checking results against examples and clear criteria to find whether the system works well and where it fails.
- Observability
- Being able to understand system behavior through records such as logs, measurements and traces.
- Dependency
- A library or package that your application relies on. Compatible versions help the application run as expected.
Beginner — What is MAF?
- Microsoft Agent Framework provides agents and explicit workflows.
- An agent handles model-driven interaction and tools; a workflow connects agents and functions through controlled execution paths.
- It builds on ideas from AutoGen and Semantic Kernel.
Intermediate — When do you use an agent versus a workflow?
- Use an agent for variable language interaction and bounded tool selection.
- Use a workflow when order, dependencies, approvals, or state transitions must be explicit.
- A business application often uses both.
Senior — MAF versus LangGraph?
- I compare ecosystem/language fit, state contracts, review/resume behavior, persistence guarantees, observability, and hosting.
- LangGraph starts from explicit state-graph orchestration; MAF provides agent and workflow abstractions in its ecosystem.
- The validated operational contract matters more than branding.
Scenario — A client already uses Semantic Kernel. Do you rewrite?
- I inventory maintained features, current support, and actual pain points.
- I prototype MAF behind stable tool contracts and compare evaluation/recovery behavior before migrating.
- A rename or new framework alone does not justify a risky rewrite.
Can you explain it without the notes?
Microsoft Agent Framework
Use your own words. Explain an example and one limitation before checking the explanation.
Check your explanation
Beginner — What is MAF?
Turn this concept into a clear answer.
Practice this conceptAdapted from 13_AI.MD · “29.10 Microsoft Agent Framework”. Examples are study fragments; framework behavior can depend on your version.